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Carnegie Mellon Architecture graduates throw their caps in celebration on the lawn of the College of Fine Arts building. Credit: Long Q Hong

AIA Medal for Academic Excellence

B.Arch & M.Arch Student Award

Carnegie Mellon Architecture graduates throw their caps in celebration on the lawn of the College of Fine Arts building. Credit: Long Q Hong

The AIA Medal for Academic Excellence is awarded to one graduate from both the B.Arch and M.Arch programs who has displayed "general excellence" throughout their academic career.

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Graduating students in the Bachelor of Architecture program and the Master of Architecture program are eligible for the AIA Medal for Academic Excellence. Carnegie Mellon Architecture selects the candidates based on the guidelines provided by the AIA national organization.

Mission

the AIA Medal for Academic Excellence with a blue ribbon
The AIA Medal for Academic Excellence. Credit: AIA

For more than a century, AIA has provided a medal of excellence to recognize one graduate from both the B.Arch and M.Arch programs who has displayed "general excellence" throughout their academic career.

Eligibility & Schedule

Graduating students in the Bachelor of Architecture program and the Master of Architecture program are eligible for the AIA Medal for Academic Excellence. Carnegie Mellon Architecture selects the candidates based on the guidelines provided by the AIA national organization. The recipient(s) are announced at the annual diploma ceremony.

Award Recipients

  • 2026: Charles Hymowitz (B.Arch '26) & Tai Le (M.Arch '26)
  • 2025: Vanshika Bhaiya (B.Arch '25) & Clara Martucci (M.Arch '25)
  • 2024: Rebecca Cunningham (B.Arch '24) & Rachel Ruscigno (M.Arch '24)
  • 2023: Nicholas Coppula (B.Arch '23), Madeline Cotton (B.Arch '23) & Xinyi Wang (M.Arch '23)
  • 2022: Xiaotian He (B.Arch '22) & Kashmala Imtiaz (M.Arch '22)
  • 2021: Christoph Eckrich (B.Arch '21) & Sharleen Devjani (M.Arch '21)
  • 2020: Cotey Anderegg (B.Arch '20)
  • 2019: Gunn Chaiyapatranun (B.Arch '19)
  • 2018: Sinan Goral (B.Arch '18) & Rachel Muse (B.Arch '18)
  • 2017: Chandler Archbell (B.Arch '17) & Carolina Tamayo (B.Arch '17)
  • 2016: Laura Gonzalez (B.Arch '16) & Gloriana Gonzalez Herrero (B.Arch '16)
  • 2015: not awarded
  • 2014: not awarded
  • 2013: Talia Perry (B.Arch '13), Medha Singh (B.Arch '13), Jessica Wang (B.Arch '13) & Leto Karatsolis-Chanikian (B.Arch '13)
  • 2012: Sam Faller (B.Arch '12), Grace Ding (B.Arch '12), Joey Koon (B.Arch '12) & Annemarie Malbon (B.Arch '12)
  • 2011: Karen Branick (B.Arch '11) & Matthew Huber (B.Arch '11)
  • 2010: Craig Rosman (B.Arch '10) & Jared Friedman (B.Arch '10)
  • 2009: Xianghu Wu (B.Arch '09) & Blake Lam (B.Arch '09)

The AIA previously awarded the AIA Medal for Academic Excellence to the first-ranking Bachelor of Architecture graduate and the Henry Adams AIA Certificate (no longer offered) to the second-ranking Bachelor of Architecture graduate. The AIA Medal criteria have changed over time.